Rat hole drilling mechanism



Oct. 4, 1938.

E. D. ACKERMAN RAT HOLE DRILLING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5,1958 INV ENT OR. ED WA RD Z2 A C'KERMAN Oct. 4, 1938. E. D. ACKERMAN RATHOLE DRILLING MECHANISM Filed may 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR..Ebw RD [3 A CKERM 1V BY w M ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE RAT HOLE DRILLINGMECHANISM Edward D. Ackerinan, Ellinwood, Kans.

' Application May 5, 1938, Serial No. 206,175

Claims.

My invention relates to a rat hole drilling mechanism and has for itsprincipal object a portable device operated by the turn table of an oilwell rotary drilling rig to produce that which -5 is known in the oilfields as a rat hole that is associated with rotary drilling of oilwells, the rat hole being in close proximity to the well.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicientmeans to drill the rat hole slanting upward and toward the well, the rathole being means to dispose of an element commonly known as the Kellyjoint, which is the turning means for the s em of a rotary drill, the

stem being in joints, each of which has a coupling for their connectionand adapted to receive a coupling carried by the Kelly joint, the saidKelly joint being rectangular in cross section to engage in a recangularopening of a-bushing insertible in the master bushing of a poweractuated turn table comprised with the equipment of a drilling rig andpositioned in axial working relation to the well. To connect otherjoints to the stem during the course of drilling, the stem is raised bythe Kelly joint so that the upper end of said stem is positioned abovethe turn table elements, and being secured against retraction, at whichtime said Kelly joint is removed and placed in the rat hole to avoidobstruction during the process of placing another joint on the stem,after which the stem is dropped and retained at a similar point to thatof the previous joint and secured while the Kelly joint is withdrawnfrom the rat hole and attached to the end of the stem. During thisprocess of stem connection, the Kelly joint bushing is removed andreplaced to engage said Kelly joint to turn the stem for furtherdrilling; it being understood that said bushing is split diametricallyand brought in snug engagement as it enters the master bushing.Heretofore, improvised power actuated methods have been resorted to forthe drilling of a rat hole and in some instances the drilling wasperformed manually, and to avoid such performance, I have arranged amechanism that is operated by the oil well drilling mechanism that isnism, the axis of which is vertical but having a pyramidal opening aboutsaid axis that will accommodate for the slanting position of the Kellyjoint without interruption while turning the same in its slantedposition. I

It will be further understood tha my invention also provideshorizontally positioned sprocket wheels engaged by a chain belt assmooth running means therefor regardless the vertical incline of a toolthat is turned by one of the wheels. 10

To attain these and other objects hereinafter described, reference willbe had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which like characters will apply to like parts inthe difierent views. 15

Referring to the drawings:

Fig.1 is a side view of the rat hole drilling mechanism, parts removed,the Kelly joint fragmentarlly shown, and the relative position of an oilwell turn table to the mechanism shown 20 by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, the Kelly joint removed.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of -the arrowin said figure. 25

Fig. 4'is an elevation of an oil well derrick showing relative positionof the rat hole to the well, also slanting position of the line relativeto the rat hole.

Fig. 5 is an inside view of one half of the Kelly 30 joint hubbedsprocket-wheel.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line B5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a sector roller bearing for the sidethrust of the hubbed sprocket 35 wheel for the Kelly joint.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a standard Kelly joint bushing.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view. of a standard make of an oil well drillingturn table. 40

Fig. 10 is an underside perspective view of one of the clips in whichthe Kelly joint hubbed sprocket wheel turns.

My invention herein disclosed consists of a sprocket wheel Lintegrallyjoined to the upper 45 end of a hub 2, the peripheral surface of the hubconforming to the opening of a master bushing A that is positioned at heturning axis of turn table B, the bushing being old in the art of rotarydrilling, and positioned in said turn table B, that is likewise wellknown. The said iurn table has means to rotate the same through themedium of a motor not shown in the drawings but commonly employed inrotary drilling,

and in such case, the master bushing is equipped with a bushing A,leaving a square opening axially extending therethrough as shown 'inFig. 8, and known to the trade as a Kelly joint bushing, through whichextends the said Kelly joint, slideable therein, functioning as turningmeans for a drill stem, and descending therewith, it being understoodthat said bushing, when seated in the master bushing A, will rotatetherewith when the table is turned. To operate my rat hole mechanism,the said Kelly bushing is removed and replaced by the said hubbedsprocket wheel above described, which is turned in like manner to thatof the Kelly joint bushing A.

To secure said hubbed sprocket wheel in the opening of the masterbushing A, I have positloned a bolt 3, axially extending through the hub2, and having secured to the lower end thereof a bar 4 diametricallycrossing the lower end of the hub, and the said bar is of sufllcientlength so that each end thereof will seat on the lower end of saidmaster bushing as shown at C and D, and being tensioned thereto by a nut5 threadedly engaging on the upper end of the said bolt; when thuspositioned, the sprocket wheel is spaced above the horizontal plane ofthe turn table as shown in Fig. 1.

Spaced a short distance from the said turn table is a pair of frameelements 6, each of which has a base member E and a plate element Fspaced upward from member E in parallelism therewith and supported bylegs G, slantingly positioned and connecting said base and plate asshown in Fig. 1. Each end of said base members is cut slantingly upwardand outward to move the same freely longitudinally, the said framesbeing spaced apart and connected at one end by a cross bar 1 that ismedially severed in such a way that the adjacent ends thereof will lapas at H, and being secured together by apin 8. While the other ends andupper portion of the frame members are substantially secured by a sectorroller bearing 9 extending thereacross, each end of which is secured toits respective frame member by a bolt i and pin Ii, the latter, beingspaced from the bolt, is bracing means against opposite longitudinalmovement of the side frame members and coacting with the abutting endsof bar member I that are secured to their respective sides of the frameand free to move therewith when said pin 8 is removed. To rock the sidesof the frame in the direction indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, Ifirst remove pins 8 and I i, at which time the sides are free to rock ontheir respective pivot points established by slots iii, the purpose ofwhich is later described.

Seated on plates F of said frames is the end of hub l2, having sprocketwheel IS on the other end, and rotatable therewith, the hub rotatablysecured by a plurality of clips Hi, the lips L of which lap over theannular flange l integrally joined to the lower end of said hub, and thesaid hub has a shoulder J adjacent the sprocket wheel, and between saidflange and shoulder is an annular bearing as at K against which the saidsector roller bearing ill will engage.

The last said hubbed sprocket wheel has a pyramidal opening l6concentrically positioned and passing therethrough to receive the shaftof a Kelly joint I! slideable therein, and being turned by the saidhubbed sprocket wheel through the medium of a chain l8 that is in meshwith oil well rig. The said chain is properly tensioncd by a strut rod20, one end of which is pivotally connected to cars 2| integrally joinedto said roller bearing while the other end is connected in like mannerto the turn table as at 22, by said arrangement of the strut, andthrough the medium of its turn buckle 23; the said frame elements C andhubbed sprocket wheel carried thereby may be moved toward and from thesaid turn-table as tensioning means for the chain. To avoid excess sagof the chain, there is positioned on the corresponding ends of basemember E a standard 24, the standard having at the upper end a roller 25trunnioned between cars 26, substantially as shown, the said earsupwardly extend as guiding means for the chain belt as carried by therollers.

The said hubbed sprocketwheel carried by the frame is diametricallysplit as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and being secured together by bolts21, engaging through apertured ears 28, that are integrally connected totheir respective halves of said hubbed sprocket wheel and being on thesprocket wheel end thereof, the other end of the hub structure beingsupported to close engagement by the said clips spaced therearound butfree to rotate as above described. Being so arranged, is means toseparate and place the same on the shaft of said Kelly joint prior todrilling the rat hole, and the said frame rockably connected as abovedescribed is means to receive said Kelly joint therebetween, and whenthus assembled, and when said hubbed sprocket I is positioned in themaster bushing of the turn table as heretofore described, and having achain belt placed to engagement with each sprocket, the mechanismcomprising my invention is fully prepared to drill the rat hole as thesaid table is turned by its respective power as actuating meanstherefor.

In Fig. l is shown the approximate slant of the Kelly joint whendrilling the rat hole;' the slant of said jointis due to its eccentricposition at the base of the derrick as shown in Fig. 4, the pendentsupporting means being centered on the turning axis of sheave 29 at thetop of the derrick; therefore the rat hole must axially align with thesaid center point to avoid excess drag of the Kelly joint while enteringor being removed from said rat hole.

To drill a rat hole at a point selected adjacent the well, I firstdisassemble the frame and hubbed sprocket wheel in order to place theKelly joint with drill, but connected at the point of spudding in, Ithen assemble the hubbed sprocket wheelto engagement with the stem ofthe Kelly joint, after which the frame is rocked to its normal workingposition with said hubbed sprocket wheel seated on the frame andretained thereon by the engagement of the clips with the flange of thehuh. I then remove the Kelly bushing from the master bushing in the turntable and place in said master bushing the other hubbed sprocket wheelsecuring the same to rotate the same with the table; a chain belt isthen placed to engagement with each of said sprocket wheels as turningmeans for the Kelly joint as it drills the rat hole. When said rat holehas been drilled and cased the mechanism of my invention is removed toresume drilling of the oil well.

While I have shown and described integral hubbed sprocket wheels, thesame may be modifled by separating the wheel from their hub and means toassemble the same securely.

Such modiflcations may be employed as lie within the scope of theappended claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rat hole drilling mechanism, in combination with a turn table ofan oil well drilling rig, the table having a master bushingconcentrically positioned therein and rotatable with the table, a hubbedsprocket wheel, the periphery of the hub to conform to the inner wall ofsaid master bushing, and means to secure the same in said bushing asturning means for the said hubbed sprocket wheel, a frame and a hubbedsprocket wheel rotatably seated on the frame so that the sprocket wheelof each hub is aligned -horizontally, a chain belt as power transmittingmeans from one sprocket wheel to the other, means in the said otherhubbed sprocket wheel to engage the shaft of a drilling stem as turningmeans therefor.

2. In a rat hole drilling mechanism, in combination with a turn tablehaving a master bush ing axially secured therein, a frame spaced fromthe turn table and means to move the frame for adjustment toward or fromthe turn table, a pair of hubbed sprocket wheels, one of which issecured in the master bushing of the turn table and rotatable therewith,the table being motor actuated, the other hubbed sprocket wheel having apyramidal opening extending axially therethrough, the side walls of saidopening diverging toward the outer extremity of the hub, means to retainthe last said hubbed sprocket wheel seated on-top of the frame androtatable thereon, a chain belt connecting said sprocket wheels asturning means for last said hubbed sprocket wheel, which in turn willrotate a drill element having a stem rectangular in cross section toslidably engage through the pyramidal opening and rotatable therewith.

3. In a rat hole drilling mechanism, in combination with a turn tablehaving a master bushing axially positioned therein, a frame comprisingtwo side elements, detachabiy arranged means to connect the frameelements at one end thereof, and means to pivotally connect said frameelements medially or their ends whereby said frame elements detached atits end connection will rock go toward and from each other, a pair ofhubbed sprocket wheels, one of which is secured in the master bushing ofthe turn table, the other hubbed sprocket wheel being seated on saidframe and-removable therefrom when the side frames are rocked fromparallelism, a chain belt as power transmitting means from one sprocketwheel to the other, and means carried by the frame to support the chainmedially of its sprocket wheels, means to engage a drilling stemslidable through the last said hubbed sprocket wheel as turning meansfor the drill stem, and being positioned concentric to said hubbedsprocket .wheeLthedrillstembeingtermedastheKelly joint 4. In a rat holedrilling mechanism, in combination with a turn table having a masterbushing axially positioned-therein, a frame spaced from the turn table,and means to move the frame for adjustment toward or from the turntable, a pair of hubbed sprocket wheels, one of which is axially boredand a'bolt positioned in the bore and extending outward therefrom, thehub being seated in the master bushing and rotatable therewith, a bartransversely positioned and secured to the outer extension of the boltmedially of the bar length, each outer end of the bar to lap on themaster bushing by which means said hubbed sprocket wheel is secured insaid master bushing, the other hubbed sprocket wheel being divideddiametrically, forming two halves, means to secure the'halves together,there being a pyramidal opening concentrically passing therethrough, the

walls of the opening diverging from the sprocket wheel end of thestructure for the purpose specifled, a chain belt connecting saidsprocket wheels as power transmitting means to last named hubbedsprocket wheel.

5. In a rat hole drilling mechanism, in combination with a turn tablehaving a master bushing axially secured therein, a frame spaced from theturn table, and means to move the frame. for adjustment toward or fromthe turn table, a pair of hubbed sprocket wheels, one of which isaxially bored and a bolt positioned in the bore and extending outwardtherefrom, the hub to seat in the master bushing and rotatabletherewith, a bar transversely positioned and secured to the outerextension of the bolt medially of the end of the bar to lap on themaster bushing by which means said hubbed sprocket wheel is secured insaid master bushing, the other hubbed sprocket wheel having a sprocketwheel on one end of the hub and a shoulder adjacent the wheel, the otherend of the hub having an annular flange outwardly extending from theperiphery of the hub, a plurality of clips seemed to the frame in such away as to space the clips around the flange, each clip having a lipunder which the flange will rotatabiy engage, the clips as retainingmeans for the hub on the frame, a chainbelt in mesh with each sprocketwheel as power transmitting means to turn last named sprocket wheel,there being a pyramidal opening through the axis of said hub and wheelto engage the stem of 'a Kelly joint vertically or slantingly po- IEDWARD D. ACERMAN.

